Portable exercise apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

A portable exercise apparatus sufficiently lightweight and compact to easily fit into a travel bag for use at remote locations, comprising a rigid telescoping pole that can be temporarily locked at an intermediate length depending on the exercise, an elastic member having handles on each end and removably and slidably coupled to the pole through an attachment collar. The attachment collar has an inwardly facing gripping surface for gripping a portion of the outer surface of the pole and an outward facing coupling ring for encircling a portion of the elastic member and thereby causing the elastic member to be removably and slidably coupled to the pole.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates to portable exercise devices, and inparticular, to portable exercise devices that are light and compact foruse in remote locations, such as on a golf course.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] While the popularity of exercise has continued to increase overthe years as more and more people take joy in the health and athleticbenefits associated with it, there has been a recent trend towardsfunctional exercises. Functional exercises focus on providing benefitsthat specifically relate to our every day lives. They also help toimprove on existing health issues, such as post surgical rehabilitationto a knee, shoulder or hip injury. In addition, these types of exercisesare designed to be preventative care in nature and are low impact onjoints and muscles so as to minimize the risk of injury during exercise.Examples of these types of exercises are core fitness (the region of thebody from the abdomen to the thighs), stretching and balance, which areembodied in such exercise classes as yoga and Pilates. Apparatuses oftenassociated with these types of exercises include the wobble board,balancing discs, exercise ball, resistance bands.

[0005] The popularity of golf has increased as well. The golf swingplaces a great deal of stress on the body, specifically the back,abdomen, hips and shoulders. Strengthening and conditioning these areasof the body are crucial in order to optimize one's golf game because itallows a golfer to hit a ball farther, straighter and more solid due tobetter neuro-muscular actions. In other words, appropriate stretchingand balance exercises help the golfer to play golf at a higher level.

[0006] Warming up prior to an activity is an important aspect of anytype of activity or exercise, especially a physical exercise. People'sbusy lives limit the time spent on warming up prior to exercise, and asa result, their bodies are more inclined to become injured duringexercise.

[0007] The effects of aging on the body, minor aches, loss of range ofmotion, and muscle fatigue lead to a decreased ability to properlyexercise. As we age our bodies slow down, thus making it more difficultto maintain and sustain rigorous physical activity.

[0008] Over 50 billion dollars are spent per year on back-relatedinjuries in the United States, and it is estimated that 75% of allAmericans experience back pain in their lifetime. Many of these injuriesare related to muscle imbalances, sprains, strains, and disccopathies.These injuries, in addition to causing pain and discomfort, lead todecreased range of motion of the joint complex and minimized elasticityof the muscle.

[0009] The need for developing an exercise apparatus with specificexercises to provide neurological, physiological, biomechanical benefitsto counter these types of ailments is great. Further, the need is for anapparatus that is easy to use (no complex parts), portable, lightweightand should provide strength and conditioning at a low impact to minimizeinjury during exercise and it should focus on functional routinesspecifically embracing core, stretching and balance type activities.Moreover, there is a need for the apparatus to be able to be used bypeople of all ages, elite athletes and couch potatoes alike.

[0010] The device should pertain to those who perform sports thatrequire specific use of a twisting, swinging motion such as golf. Theneed is high for an exercise device to assist in optimizing one's gameby strengthening, conditioning and preparing the muscles used duringgolf is high.

[0011] Additionally, the device should provide a quick and easy way forpeople to warm-up prior to tough physical exercise, such as betweenswings during a session of golf. The device should stimulate the correctneuro-physical pathways and get the blood flowing to major core areas ofthe body and do so in a minimal amount of time.

[0012] There have been a number of approaches made to achieve anexercise apparatus that can provide directed functional exercises forgolfers or tennis players:

[0013] The invention in U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,013, issued to Wolf, is notportable. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,809, issued to Nichols, the inventionis not configured to have a place for the user to hold the cross bar fortorso exercises, nor does this apparatus incorporate any leg exercises.In U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,495 issued to Yalch, the invention provides noattachment for other exercises to be executed and is limiting in thescope of exercises offered.

[0014] Other configurations for an exercise apparatus have beenattempted to incorporate a bar or a bar connected to elastic tubing.U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,805, issued to Ayres, discloses a specific processfor permanently attaching an elastic tubing to a bar at a single,unmovable middle point on the wall of the bar. The configuration inAyers does not allow for the elastic member to be easily removed fromthe bar or moved from one point to another point along the length of thebar. There is only one handle on the end of the elastic tubing, and thusmany of the diverse exercises that can be accomplished by the apparatusof the present invention cannot be accomplished by Ayers. Also, the barin Ayers is too short to accomplish many of the diverse exercises thatcan be accomplished by the apparatus of the present invention.

[0015] In U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,321 issued to Macoulis, the invention isdirected to simulating leg cycling action. The device disclosed islimited in scope of exercises that can be performed requiring, amongother things, for the user to use both legs to work the device and forthe user to be seated throughout the exercise. Macoulis does notcontemplate exercises that involve only one leg or for the user to bestanding during the workout, and thus the device does not exercise themuscles of the torso or the selected leg, or exercises that allow theuser to stand, such as in instances where there is no chair to sit induring the exercise. Moreover, Macoulis also discloses only a fixedattachment point for the elastic tubing.

[0016] In U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,512 issued to Curran, the pole is alsolong and not collapsible involves only a tethered harness attachment tothe user's waist. Further, the invention discloses a thumbscrew toadjust the length of the bar, which in considerably more cumbersome thanthe present invention's locking mechanism. Additionally, no legexercises are described, and the pole is not meant to use the ground asa part of the exercise.

[0017] In U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,041 issued to Fisher, the pole is notcollapsible and the attachments are not easily moved to differentlocations along the length of the pole or removed from the pole. Also,the pole does not appear to be intended to use the ground as part of theexercises. Moreover, the invention does not pertain to stretching orrotation exercises that provide athletic and essential neurologicalenhancements as described below.

[0018] In U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,608 issued to Wilkinson, the inventiondoes not provide for using the ground in combination with the elasticmember to provide a wide array of leg, arm, and torso stretchingexercises of the present invention as described below. Also, it does notdisclose any mechanism for removably attaching an elastic member to theshaft at various locations.

[0019] Thus, what is needed in an exercise device that comprises atelescoping bar that is lightweight for carrying to remote locationsthat may be used alone as well as with an elastic tubing that may beremovably attached to the bar at any place along the length of the barand capable itself of being used separately as well.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The present invention is an exercise device and the method forusing the device in which the device is sufficiently lightweight andcompact that it can be easily fit into a golf bag, suitcase, or othertravel bag for use at remote locations, and which comprises a rigidlightweight pole having a first pole section and a second pole section.The first pole section has an outer surface and an inner surfacedefining a hollow, and the second pole section has an outer surface thatis generally concentric with the inner surface of the first polesection. The second pole section is configured to at least partiallyretract into the hollow of the first pole section, and thereby telescopeto a fully extended position, a fully unextended position, or one ormore intermediate positions as desired by a user. The two pole sectionscan then be temporarily locked relative to one another at a lengthdesired by the user for a given exercise or for storing and traveling.

[0021] The device also comprises an elastic member having a first endand a second end, a first handle strap fixed to the first end of theelastic member, a second handle strap fixed to the second end of theelastic member, and an attachment collar for mounting to the pole andslidably coupling the elastic member to the pole. The attachment collaritself comprises an inwardly facing gripping surface for removablymounting on and gripping a portion of the outer surface of either thefirst or second pole section at a desired position along the polesection, and an outward facing coupling ring for encircling a portion ofthe elastic member and thereby causing the elastic member to beremovably and slidably coupled to the pole.

[0022] With this combination of elements, the portable exercise deviceoffers a surprisingly large multitude of possible exercises in a verycompact and lightweight package that may easily be carried to remotelocations for stretching exercises outside of the gym environment.

[0023] These and other objects and advantages of the present inventionwill be apparent from a review of the following specification andaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0025]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment shown inFIG. 1 with the attachment collar detached from the extendable pole.

[0026]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an attachment collar for oneembodiment of the present invention.

[0027]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the attachment collar of FIG. 3showing the middle loop and stitching around the coupling ring.

[0028]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the presentinvention showing the configuration and positioning of the attachmentcollar for a hamstring curl exercise.

[0029]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the presentinvention showing the configuration and positioning of the attachmentcollar for a side shoulder raise exercise.

[0030]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the presentinvention showing the configuration and positioning of the attachmentcollar for a sub-scapula exercise.

[0031]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the presentinvention showing the configuration and positioning of the attachmentcollar for a triceps extension exercise.

[0032]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the presentinvention showing the configuration and positioning of the attachmentcollar for an exercise of the latissimus dorsi muscles.

[0033]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the presentinvention showing a forward bend rotation stretching exercise.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

[0034] The detailed description set forth below in connection with theappended drawings is intended as a description of presently preferredembodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the onlyforms in which the present invention may be constructed and/or utilized.The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps forconstructing and operating the invention in connection with theillustrated embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the sameor equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by differentembodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spiritand scope of the invention.

[0035]FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate one embodiment of the present invention,in which there is a portable exercise device comprising a rigidlightweight pole 20 having a first pole section 22 and a second polesection 32. The first pole section 22 in FIG. 1 has an outer surface 24that is cylindrical in shape, but may be of any number of other generalshapes, such as square or rectangular cross sections. The first polesection 22 is at least partially hollow having an inner surface definingthe hollowed portion of first pole section 22.

[0036] The second pole section 32 has an outer surface 34 that isgenerally concentric with the inner surface of the first pole section22. The second pole section 32 is configured to partially retract intothe hollow of the first pole section 22 so that the pole 20 may retractto a length suitable for storage in a golf bag, suitcase, or other suchportable bag or container. That is, the embodiment of FIG. 1 is designedto be convenient for the user to carry the device to locations that areremote from a gymnasium, such as a golf course, office, hotel room, orthe like. For this reason, the overall length of the pole 20 when fullyretracted is generally less than five feet in this embodiment, andpreferably less than four feet, and the weight of the pole is less thanthree pounds, and preferably less than one-and-a-half pounds.

[0037] Also, for the present invention, more than two telescopingsections may be employed, allowing for a greater maximum length whenfully extended and even a smaller package for traveling when fullyunextended. The present application describes two telescoping polesections for ease of illustration and description only. One shouldnotice that additional telescoping sections can be employed ascontemplated by the present invention, and where two sections aredescribed, what is meant is at least two such sections.

[0038] The pole 20 is preferably equipped with a cam lock device betweenthe two pole sections so that the pole may be temporarily locked in thefully unextended position, in the fully extended position, or at anylength in between simply by twisting the second pole section 32 about aquarter turn in either direction relative to the first pole section 22.The cam lock causes a friction locking effect that locks the second polesection 32 with respect to the first pole section 22 at a desired lengthfor a given workout. Between exercises, the user may twist the secondpole section 32 about a quarter turn in the opposite direction to unlockthe second pole section 32 so that the length of the pole can be changedfor the next exercise or for storing back in the bag or suitcase fortraveling.

[0039] Alternatively, the two pole sections could be equipped with otherstandard temporary locking mechanisms. For example, the first polesection could comprise a series of holes designed and positioned toreceive one or more spring-loaded detents (not shown) that cause alocking action between the first and second pole sections. The userwould then have to press down in the detents so that the second polecould be unlocked relative to the first pole and the length of the polecould then be changed for the next exercise or for storing away.Presently, lock configuration is preferable since it is comparativelyeasy to use, it provides a locking force that is sufficient for theforces the pole 20 is likely to encounter during the exercisescontemplated by the present invention, and it allows the user to set thelength of the pole 20 to an infinite number of lengths rather than justa finite set of lengths.

[0040] The pole 20 when fully unextended is thus designed to besufficiently small in size and light in weight to be easily andconveniently placed and carried in a golf bag, suitcase, or othercarrying bag. When it is fully or partially extended, and coupled withthe elastic member 40, discussed in more detail below, the pole 20 maybe used to perform exercises in locations remote from a gym environment.

[0041] The pole 20 is also preferably equipped on each end 21 and 31with one or more traction surfaces 25 and 35 respectively to increasethe friction force between the user's hand and the pole 20. Several ofthe exercises contemplated with the present exercise device includeplacing one end of the telescoping pole 20 on the ground or floor wherethe exercise(s) is to be performed. To facilitate these exercises aswell, traction surfaces 25 and 35 are also positioned on the distal endsof the pole 20. This increases the friction force between the pole 20and the ground or floor surface.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2, the exercise device also comprises an elasticmember 40, such as a rubber band, an elastic tubing, but could alsoinclude a coil spring or the like and remain within the scope of thepresent invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, handles 50 and 54are preferably attached to the ends of the elastic tubing. The handle 50shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1 comprises a loop of resilientmaterial. One portion of the handle loop 50 is attached to the elasticmember, while a handle grip section 52 is attached to another portion ofthe handle loop 50 for receiving the palm of a hand or the bottom of afoot of the user. The grip 52 of handle 50 and grip 56 of handle 54could be of any suitable material conducive to gripping by hand but alsosufficiently sturdy to withstand the sole of a shoe. Presently, thehandle grip 52 shown in FIG. 1 is black rubber tubing that encircles aportion of the handle loop 50.

[0043] The tubing of the handle grip 52 provides another benefit,namely, it allows the user's hand to remain at a given orientationthroughout an exercise. That is, for several of the contemplatedexercises, the user grips the handle grip 52 with one hand and pulls onthe elastic member 40. As the user extends the elastic member 40 in thisway, the angle between the user's arm or forearm and the elastic member40 changes.

[0044] Without the tubing used for the handle grip 52, the user wouldinstead grip just the handle loop 50 itself, and the user handle loop 50would get twisted during this action. The user would experience thetwisting effect and may have a tendency to rotate his or her wrist tocompensate. Whether or not the user rotates his or her wrist tocompensate for this twisting effect, the twisting effect could beconsiderable and would be quite distracting during many of theexercises. Also, the twisting action, over time, would cause the handleloop 50 to wear out and may cause the handle loop to eventually fail.

[0045] By the addition of the handle grip tubing, the handle loop 50does not twist as the user performs an exercise, and the user does notexperience any twisting. Instead, the handle grip 52 is free to rotateabout the portion of the handle loop 50 that it encircles. As a result,regardless of the beginning and ending orientation of the elastic member40 and the user's arm or forearm for a given exercise, the user canrepeatedly perform the complete exercise without ever feeling the needto rotate the wrist—or the foot—for exercises involving placing the footinside the handle loop 50.

[0046] The elastic member 40 shown in FIG. 2 is removably attached orcoupled to the telescoping pole 20 by a coupling ring 82 mounted to thepole. The ring 82 may be removable and movable along the length of thepole 20 by a removable attachment collar 60. As shown in FIG. 3, theremovable attachment collar 60 is preferably made of a resilient strapmaterial. It comprises a first strap portion 62 and a second strapportion 70 extending in opposite directions and separated by a middleloop portion 80 intermediate the first and second strap portions thathouses a portion of the coupling ring 82.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment, the coupling ring 82 is made of asingle continuous polymeric or composite loop, and the middle loop 80 ofthe attachment collar 60 is sewn around a portion of the coupling ring82. In this way, the coupling ring 82 is durable and substantiallyresistant to breaking thus allowing for a long useful life. Thestitching 81 of the middle loop 80 of the attachment collar 60 islikewise durable as it may span the entire width of the attachmentcollar 60. As shown in FIG. 4, the stitching 81 is disposedperpendicular to any stresses exerted on it by the exercisescontemplated by the present invention, and thus the stresses aredistributed evenly along the stitching so as to reduce the effect of thestresses on the stitching 81 and on combination of the attachment collar60 and coupling loop 82.

[0048] The coupling ring 82 in the preferred embodiment has an innerdimension that is sufficiently large to loosely encircle a portion ofthe elastic member 40 and allow the elastic tubing to freely slidewithin the ring 82. This inner dimension also is, in the preferredembodiment, sufficiently small to preclude the handle loop straps 50 and54 to pass through. As a result, the elastic member 40 and the handleloops will not be easily removed or lost from the attachment collar 60.Therefore, the combination of the elastic member 40, handle loop straps50 and 54, and the attachment collar 60 in this embodiment is alwaysavailable as a unit always readily available to be easily attached tothe extendable pole 20 at a desired location for an exercise, easilymoved to another location for another exercise, and easily removed fromthe pole 20 and stored away in the travel bag or suitcase when it is notneeded.

[0049] The attachment collar 60 further has a self attachment means,such as buttons, latches, clasps, or a hook and loop type fastener,commonly referred to as Velcro®. That is, the inner surface 72 of thesecond strap portion 70 comprises an attachment mechanism 79 forattaching to a mating mechanism 69 on the outer surface 68 of the firststrap portion 62. A hook and loop fastener, such as that shown in FIG.4, is presently preferred since, by using a hook and loop fastener, theattachment collar 60 can be tightened as necessary around the pole 20for a given exercise, and it may be loosened as necessary to remove thecollar 60 or moved it to a different location for a different exercise.

[0050] The attachment collar 60 also has an inwardly facing grippingsurface 66 that is disposed on the inner surface 64 of the first strapportion 62. Once tightened around the pole 20, the attachment collar 60is held in place by the friction force between the gripping surface 66and the outer surface 25 and/or 35 of the pole 20. The gripping surface66 is preferably a rubber or neoprene sheet sewn, glued, or otherwiseaffixed to the inner surface 64 of the first strap portion 62.

[0051] Since the elastic member 40 can freely slide through the couplingloop 82, the user can either pull on one of the handle loops 50 or 54for an exercise, or the user can pull on both of the handle loops 50 and54 for the exercise. If the user pulls on just one of the handles, thehandle on the other end of the elastic member 40 will be pulled intocontact with the coupling ring 82, and the user stretches the entirelength of the elastic member 40 and encounters a resistance for theexercise that is a function of the length of the elastic member 40.

[0052] If, on the other hand, the user pulls on both handle loops 50 and54 at the same time and in the same direction, the mid point of theelastic member 40 will be pulled into contact with the coupling ring 82,and the user effectively stretches two parallel halves of the elasticmember 40 at the same time and encounters a much greater resistance asthe two halves of the elastic member 40 are stretched. That is, due tothe free sliding coupling arrangement between the pole 20 and theelastic members 40, the user has two distinct options for the amount ofresistance he or she encounters in each exercise, along with twocorrespondingly distinct options for the range of motion that he or shecan have during each exercise.

[0053] For a given exercise, therefore, the user may begin by removingthe telescoping pole 20 from a golf bag, suitcase, or other travel bag(not shown). The user extends the telescoping pole 20 to a desiredlength for a selected exercise by pulling on the second pole section 32in an axially outward direction relative to the first pole section 22.

[0054] When the user has extended the pole 20 out to the desired length,the user locks the length of the pole 20 by twisting the second polesection 32 about a quarter turn relative to the first pole section 22.Alternatively, the user may have to position the second pole section 32relative to the first pole section 22 in such a way that one or morespring-loaded detent members (not shown) in the second pole section 32extend radially outward into one or more holes in the first pole section22 to lock the two pole sections at a desired length.

[0055] Then, the user removably attaches an elastic member 40 to thepole 20 at a desired location along the length of the pole 20, such asby wrapping an attachment collar 60—which is coupled to the elasticmember 40—to the outer surface 26 or 34 of the pole 20, and tighteningthe collar 60 around the pole 20 with sufficient force to insure thatthe collar 60 will not slide during the exercise.

[0056] The user then holds one end 21 of the pole 20 in one hand, andplaces the other end 31 of the pole 20 on the ground or floor or othergenerally flat surface, applying a sufficient downward pressure on thepole 20 so that the pole 20 does not slip along the ground or floorduring the exercise. The user then extends one or both ends of theelastic member 40 away from the pole 20 with either his or her free handor foot. In doing so, the user stretches or exercises the arm, leg, ortorso of his or her body as a result of the resistance exerted back onthe hand or foot by the elastic member 40 as it is extended. Throughoutthis exercise, the user is able to keep his or her free hand or foot ina single orientation without rotating it because of the ability of thehandle grips 50 and 56 to rotate about the portion of the handle loop 50they encircle.

[0057] By performing these steps, a surprisingly great multitude ofexercises become available to the user. For example, the user canthereby perform quad extensions wherein the user places the attachmentcollar 60 six to twelve inches from one end 21 of the telescoping pole20 and places this end 21 of the pole 20 on the ground about twelveinches to the side of her left foot, holds the other end of the pole 20with her left hand, standing with her feet shoulder distance apart,keeping her knees slightly flexed in an athletic position. She thenplaces her left foot in the handle loop 50 and, looking away from thepole 20, raises her left knee up so that it is parallel to the groundwhile balancing on the other foot. While keeping her hip still, the userthen slowly extends her left leg so that it is also parallel to theground. This is repeated several times for the left leg and then for theright leg. For optimal results, the user should ordinarily try to avoidusing the pole 20 for balance or as a weight-bearing tool.

[0058] Additionally, as shown in FIG. 5, the user can perform hamstringcurls in which the user stands with her feet shoulder distance apart,keeping knees slightly flexed in an athletic position, positions theattachment collar 60 around the pole 20 about six inches from one end 21of the pole 20, places this end 21 of the pole 20 with attachment sideon the ground about twelve inches to the side of her left foot, andholds the upper traction surface 25 with her left hand. She then placesher left foot in the handle loop 50 and, while balancing on right leg,slowly lifts the back of her left foot towards her buttocks bending theleft leg at the knee, repeating several times for each leg.

[0059] This same stance can then be used to perform so-called glutecontractions, in which, instead of bending the left leg at the knee, theuser keeps the left leg straight and extends her left foot back awayfrom the pole 20, so as to contract the gluteus maximus muscles.

[0060] The user can also readily perform abductor exercises by standingwith his feet shoulder distance apart, keeping his knees slightly flexedin an athletic position, holding one of the traction surfaces 25 on oneend 21 of the telescoping pole 20 with the left hand, and again placingthe other end 31 of the pole 20 about twelve inches to the side and afew inches in front of his left foot. The attachment collar 60 can bemoved up along the pole 20 to about six to twenty-four inches from theend of the pole 20. He then places his right foot in the handle loop 50or through both handle loops 50 and 54, balances on his left leg and,keeping his right leg straight, extends his right foot to the front sothat it remains in the same plane as the pole 20. The exercise theninvolves him slowly extending his right foot to the right away from thetelescoping pole 20 and across his other leg as far as possible. Thisonce again can be repeated several times for the right foot.

[0061] The left foot can then be placed in the handle loop 50 with thepole 20 still placed as described in the foregoing paragraph. The userthen balances on his right leg and, keeping his left leg straight now,extends his left foot to the front so that it is in the same plane asthe pole 20. This complementary exercise then involves him slowlyextending his left foot to the right, away from the telescoping pole 20and away from his other leg as far as possible, and repeating severaltimes for the left foot.

[0062] Arm exercises include forward and side shoulder raises. The frontshoulder raise includes the same stance as discussed above, but insteadof placing the foot in the handle loop 50, the user places her righthand in the handle loop 50 and, keeping her right arm straight and infront of her torso, slowly lifts her right hand over her head as high aspossible, repeating several times. The side shoulder raise, shown inFIG. 6, is similar, but instead of keeping her right arm in front of hertorso, she slowly lifts her right arm outward to the side of her torso.For maximum resistance by the elastic member 40, the attachment collar60 can be attached to the pole 20 as close to the ground as possible.For a lighter stretching exercise, the attachment collar 60 attachedhigher up on the pole 20.

[0063] The device configured as illustrated in FIG. 7 can also be usedto perform sub-scapula exercises. Here, the attachment collar 60 isplaced about halfway up the pole 20 or higher depending on the height ofthe user, and depending on the amount of resistance the user wants. Theuser then performs the steps for the front shoulder raise, except thatthe right arm is angled directly away from the user's torso with theforearm bent forward 90°. The user then rotates her right arm so that atthe end of this rotation her forearm is bent upward 90°, and this motionis repeated several times.

[0064] A bicep curl may also be performed. The stance and configurationof the device is similar to the front shoulder raise above, except thatthe attachment collar 60 positioned as low as possible along the pole20, and that the right elbow is tucked in close to the user's torso. Theright arm is not kept straight but rather is allowed to bend at theelbow. This causes the right bicep to be exercised. The attachmentcollar 60 can be attached higher up on the pole 20 to reduce the amountof resistance experienced during the exercise, and the user can graspboth handle loops 50 and 54 rather than just one to multiply the amountof resistance during the exercise.

[0065] By bending forward at the waist, as illustrated in FIG. 8, theuser can perform triceps extensions. Triceps extensions are performed bystanding with her feet shoulder distance apart, keeping her kneesslightly flexed in an athletic position, holding the upper end 21 of thepole 20 with her left hand, placing the other end 31 of the pole 20 onground about twenty-four inches in front of her right foot, and placingthe attachment collar 60 about one or two feet above the ground. Theuser then grasps one or both handle loops 50 and/or 54 with the righthand and, keeping her back straight, bends forward 90° at the waist sothat her back is parallel to the ground. Keeping her right elbow tuckedin near her right side of her body, she slowly extends her hand awayfrom the pole 20, thereby exercising her triceps.

[0066] The user can also exercise his latissimus dorsi muscles byplacing the entire pole 20 lengthwise on the ground in front of andperpendicular to his feet and stepping on the pole 20 with his left footas shown in FIG. 9. Keeping his back straight, he bends forward 90° atthe waist so that his back is parallel to the ground, grasps one or bothof the handle loops 50 and/or 54 with his right hand, and pulls hisright hand towards the right side of his body as high as possible andaway from the pole 20, bending his right arm at the elbow.

[0067] The additional benefit of the present invention also includes notonly that the elastic member 40 may be easily moved from place to placealong the length of the extendable pole 20, but further that the elasticmember 40 may also be entirely removed from the pole 20. This allows theuser to perform many additional well-known exercises that use a devicehaving two handles connected by elastic tubing or a spring. It alsoallows the user to perform many well-known stretches and exercises thatuse a straight pole. These include oblique exercises, shoulderstretches, standing torso rotations, forward bending torso rotations,and chest stretches. A forward bend rotation stretching exercise isillustrated in FIG. 10.

[0068] That is, by having the attachment collar 60 made so that it maybe attached to the extendable pole 20 in various locations, whole setsof exercises and stretching exercises are made available to the user.And additionally, by having the pole 20 separable from the elasticmember 40 and attachment collar 60 combination, two additional sets ofexercises and stretching exercises are made available to the user,namely exercises that use the pole 20 alone and exercises the utilizethe elastic member 40 alone.

[0069] At all times, however, the elastic member 40 is preferably neverremoved from the attachment collar 60 so that there are preferably onlytwo separate pieces, the pole 20 and the elastic member/attachmentcollar combination. In this way, assembly of the device is made quickand simple, providing for the largest possible combination of exerciseswhile also providing a particularly easy to use, lightweight, compact,and portable exercise system for use in locations remote from a gym. Allof the above exercises are made available with just two components, usedseparately for some of the exercises, and used together for the otherexercises. Also, for many of the exercises described above, the twocomponents are used in combination and making full use of the ground orother flat surface in contact with one of the traction surfaces 25 and35 of the pole 20 so that the portable components of the device are ascompact as possible.

[0070] While the present invention has been described with regards toparticular embodiments, it is recognized that additional variations ofthe present invention may be devised without departing from theinventive concept.

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable exercise apparatus comprising: a. arigid lightweight pole comprising at least a first pole section and asecond pole section, wherein said first pole section has an outersurface and an inner surface defining a hollow, and wherein said secondpole section has an outer surface that is generally concentric with theinner surface of said first pole section, is configured to at leastpartially retract into the hollow of said first pole section, and may betemporarily locked relative to said first pole section at an unextendedposition, at a fully extended position, and at one or more intermediatepositions as desired by a user; b. an elastic member having a first endand a second end; c. a first handle strap fixed to said first end ofsaid elastic member; d. a second handle strap fixed to said second endof said elastic member; and e. an attachment collar comprising aninwardly facing gripping surface for removably mounting on and grippinga portion of said outer surface of either the first or second polesection at a desired position along said pole section, and an outwardfacing coupling ring for encircling a portion of said elastic member andthereby causing said elastic member to be removably coupled to saidpole; wherein said pole when fully unextended is sufficiently small insize and light in weight to easily be placed and carried in a golf bagor suitcase; and wherein said pole when extended or partially extendedcoupled with said elastic member may be used to perform exercises inlocations remote from a gym environment.
 2. The portable exerciseapparatus of claim 1 wherein said attachment collar further comprises afirst strap portion extending in a first direction and having an innersurface and an outer surface; a second strap portion extending in adirection opposite said first direction and having an inner surface andan outer surface; and a middle loop portion intermediate said first andsecond strap portions configured to house a portion of said outwardfacing coupling ring.
 3. The portable exercise apparatus of claim 2wherein said inwardly facing gripping surface is disposed only on theinner surface of said first strap portion and wherein the inner surfaceof said second strap portion comprises an attachment mechanism forattaching to a mating mechanism on the outer surface of said first strapportion so that said attachment collar can be tightened as necessarybefore an exercise and loosened as necessary to move said collarattachment between various exercises of different configurations.
 4. Theportable exercise apparatus of claim 3 wherein said attachment mechanismand said mating mechanism comprise a hook and loop type fastener.
 5. Theexercise attachment collar of claim 1 wherein said coupling ring has aninner dimension that is sufficiently large to encircle a portion of saidelastic member and allow said elastic member to freely slide within saidring and that is sufficiently small to preclude said handle straps topass therethrough.
 6. The portable exercise apparatus of claim 1 whereina user may pull on one of said handle straps for a given exercise andencounter a predetermined amount of resistance for said exercise, oralternatively the user may pull on both of said handle straps at thesame time and in the same direction in order to increase the amount ofresistance for said exercise.
 7. The portable exercise apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein said pole further comprises a traction surface on atleast one end to increase the friction force encountered by the groundor by the user's hand during the exercise.
 8. The portable exerciseapparatus of claim 1 wherein said each of said handle straps furthercomprises a handle grip section for receiving the palm of a hand or thebottom of a foot of the user, said handle grip section being at leastpartially rotatable relative to said handle strap so that a desiredorientation of said hand or foot may be maintained throughout theexercise.
 9. The portable exercise apparatus of claim 1 wherein each ofsaid first and second pole sections of said pole has a generallycylindrical shape.
 10. The portable exercise apparatus of claim 1wherein said second pole section of said pole can be locked relative tosaid first pole section of said pole by twisting said second polesection about a quarter turn relative to said first pole section. 11.The portable exercise apparatus of claim 1 wherein said coupling ring ismade of a single continuous loop of resilient material and saidattachment collar is sewn around a portion of said coupling ring so thatthe attachment collar and coupling ring combination is durable andsubstantially resistant to breaking for a long useful life.
 12. Theportable exercise apparatus of claim 1 wherein said pole weighs lessthan two pounds.
 13. The portable exercise apparatus of claim 1 whereinsaid attachment collar, elastic member, and handle straps combined weighless than one-half pounds.
 14. The portable exercise apparatus of claim1 wherein said pole measures less than four feet in length when saidsecond pole section is fully unextended.
 15. An exercise attachmentcollar for use with a lightweight pole and an elastic tubing memberhaving handle straps thereon, comprising a first strap portion extendingin a first direction and having an inner surface and an outer surface; asecond strap portion extending in a direction opposite said firstdirection and having an inner surface and an outer surface; and a middleloop portion intermediate said first and second strap portionsconfigured to house a portion of an outward facing coupling ring; aninwardly facing gripping surface mounted on said inner surface of saidfirst strap portion for removably mounting and gripping an outer surfaceof said pole at a desired position along the pole, an outward facingcoupling ring partially held in place by said middle loop portion forengaging said elastic tubing member and thereby causing said elastictubing member to be removably coupled to said pole; an attachmentmechanism on said inner surface of said second strap portion and amating mechanism on said outer surface of said first strap portion sothat the attachment collar can be tightened as necessary before anexercise and loosened as necessary after said exercise in order toinsure a sufficiently tight fit between said attachment collar and saidpole.
 16. The exercise attachment collar of claim 15 wherein saidattachment mechanism and said mating mechanism comprise a hook and looptype fastener.
 17. The exercise attachment collar of claim 15 whereinsaid coupling ring has an inner dimension that is sufficiently large toencircle a portion of said elastic tubing member and allow said elastictubing member to freely slide therethrough and that is sufficientlysmall to preclude said handle straps to pass therethrough.
 18. Theportable exercise apparatus of claim 15 wherein said coupling ring ismade of a single continuous loop of resilient material and saidattachment collar is sewn around a portion of said coupling ring so thatthe attachment collar and coupling ring combination is durable andsubstantially resistant to breaking for a long useful life.
 19. A methodof exercising comprising the steps of a. removing from a golf bag orsuitcase a rigid telescoping pole; b. extending said telescoping pole toa desired length for a selected exercise; c. locking said telescopingpole at said desired length; d. removably attaching an elastic member tosaid pole at a desired location along the length of said pole; e.holding a first end of said pole in a first hand; f. placing the otherend of said pole on the ground; g. applying sufficient downward pressureon said first end of said pole so that said other end of said pole doesnot slip along the ground during the exercise; and h. extending one endof said elastic member away from said pole in order to stretch orexercise the body of the golfer as a result of the resistance exerted bythe elastic member as the elastic member is extended.
 20. The method ofclaim 19 wherein a user may pull on one end of said elastic member toencounter a predetermined amount of resistance for said exercise, oralternatively the user may pull on both ends of said elastic member atthe same time and in the same direction in order to increase the amountof resistance for said exercise.
 21. The method of claim 19 wherein saidpole further comprises a traction surface on at least one end toincrease the friction force encountered by the ground or by the user'shand during the exercise.
 23. The method of claim 19 further comprisingthe step of twisting one end of said pole about a quarter turn relativeto the other end of said pole to lock the telescoping pole at a desiredlength.
 24. The method of claim 19 wherein each end of said elasticmember further comprises a handle grip section for receiving the palm ofa hand or the bottom of a foot of the user, said handle grip sectionbeing at least partially rotatable relative to said handle strap so thata desired orientation of said hand or foot may be maintained whenextending said elastic member during an exercise.